Switchfast Blog: The Future of IT
Social Networking Gone Wrong – Is Anonymity a Reliable Reputation Builder?
Monday, April 12, 2010 by Bryan Anderson
The technology blogosphere has been especially giddy for the
past couple weeks with reports of a new online resource for
"building, managing, and researching professional reputation." This
network has been named Unvarnished, and it could set a new standard
for social media "trolling."
Although the set up is relatively familiar (think
RateMyProfessors.com mixed with LinkedIn.com), the potential for
reputation defamation is horribly obvious. Many large media outlets
have spoken in regards to the apparent "power" of anonymous online
reputation management.
Over at Techcrunch.com, an article they posted calls Unvarnished a
"clean, well-lighted place for defamation." It dives into the beta
launch, including a video discussing the sites purpose and details
with co-founder Peter Kazanjy. Ultimately, they make an
excellent point in saying that "Unvarnished is a service that
depends (and ultimately profits) on digital paranoia and our
growing anxiety when it comes to our online identity."
Even the popular site Gawker.com had a few choice words when describing the
"completely evil social network." They go so far as to call it a
"digital extortion racket," claiming the most despicable
characteristic of the site is its attempt at "centering itself as
professional networking and careerbuilding." The goal of the site,
in author Ryan Tate's opinion, is to hold people's careers hostage.
He goes on to admit that although it may not attract users, the
potential for something so repulsively evil to catch on is
certainly foreseeable.
A ChicagoTribune.com article adds that observers believe
"Unvarnished is a wake-up call to protect your online reputation,
vulnerable to anyone with an opinion and an Internet connection."
It is true that the internet has turned anyone into a reviewer, but
as we've seen before, the user and object of
reviews may not agree with the process, content, or effects of such
unreliable and potentially malicious posts.
All this comes in the wake of news sites reconsidering their
anonymous online comment systems, with an article at NYTimes.com pointing out that they, along with Huffington
Post, plan on changing comment postings to include a more
sustainable, reliable feedback system.
With the move away from anonymity and towards a
Facebook-inspired user profile interface, should individuals be
forced to out their identity (or an identity in general) when
dealing with online reviews or comments? Or is it strikingly unfair
to establish these standards, especially when most of the curiosity
is placed on reviews that the end-receiver does not agree with?
Let's hear your opinion - anonymous or not.
Until Next Time -
Matthew Hymel
Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support &
Consulting
Rochester
IT Support & Consulting
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